Slot and slug for check controlled apparatus



Oct. 10, 1933. H. GOETZ SLOT AND SLUG 'FOR cmacx CONTROLLED APPARATUS Filed May 25, 1932 PLEASE BUY A SL com WI MILL" 5 LL NOT WOR Patented Get. 10, 1933' Chicago, 111., assignor' toYale' Slot I I H Chicago, 111., a corporation v v Harry Goetz,

& Slug Company, 'of Illinois Application May 25, 1932. Serial No. 613,37 9

- 11 Claims.

This invention relates to slotsand slugs for check controlled apparatus, such as telephone.

sub-station instruments, and is concerned particularly with an attachment for convertingthe 5 apparatus from a coin controlled device into a slug controlled device to thereby prevent surreptitious operation of the device with false tokens; V Y 1 Many; coin-controlled devices, such as the'coin "i icolle'ctors of. telephone sub-stations, are provided-with chutes protected by a housing which contains a circular pocketopening into the front face of the housing and through which a coin is inserted flat and brought into registration-with :15 the coin chute. 1 My invention relates primarily to -the"con versionrof' a coin-chute housing of "this type into a slug receiving housing by an attachment which may be secured to the existing coin housing without mutilating that housing.

" In its preferred form my invention consists of an attachment containing a guide adapted to lay against the front face of the coin chute housing and containing pockets adapted to registerwith the circular coin receiving openings in the front of'that housing. These pockets preferably have round bottoms, and register ac-' curately with the coin receiving openings to guide slugs or tokens into the coin chute of the device. ,A plate is located upon the top surface of. the housing and guide, this plate containing rectangular slots which are guarded by projections arranged in accordance with the particular node that is to be used upon' the slugs chosen 'for the installation. The guard and plate are held upon the housing by a metallic cap shaped to be fitted tightlythereover and containing ears which are depressed into existing indentations or copenings'in the housing to thereby securely fix the attachment on the housing. This pre- 40 ferred arrangement permits converting an existing coin controlled mechanism into a 'slu g controlled mechanism without mutilating' the coin controlled device by drilling holes therein.

My invention is further advantageous in that 5 it permits readily changingthe code by which the'coin slotsare guarded, so that an entirely different set of slugs-must be used to operatethe device. This is accomplishedby removingthe cap of the attachment device and replacing the slotted plate with a similar plate which contains slots guarded'in accordance withthe new .code. The slugs :adapted 'to :the old plate are replaced .by slugs adaptedzto the new plate, and surreptitious;operation ofthe :device is prevented.

-*While;my invention is of: great utility in connection with coin controlled telephone sub-.sta- .tions, and is described-in connection withsuch devices, it is-equally applicable to any coin controlled, device to convertzthe same so :as to compel customers to purchase a slug in order to operate the device.-

s..-: ,1 My'invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, in whichja preferred embodiment of it is shown by way of example, and inwhich: j L 1 Figure 1 is a front elevational viewof th6;d.evice of'my-invention attached to a-coin collector;

Figure Z-isaplan view of the device shcwn in Figure 1; I 1 a Figure 3, is an end view. of the device shown in {a Figureslandz; :7 t Figure 4 is across-sectionalview taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1,-looking'in-the directibn .ofthearrows; 1 m

Figure 5- is a perspective view-of the;guide; Figure 6 is aperspeoti-ve -view of-the guard plate; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan view ofamodified form-of guard plate. V Referring now to the drawing in more detail, I have shown a portion of a coin collector'suchas .is commonly used in telephone pay stations, comprising a'box orhousing 1, containingjcoinchute 2, which communicates with acoin collector'housing3 located'upon the top face of the box 1.-i As 5;; will be seen in Figure4, this ,coincollector housing contains three circular openings-5 leading inwardly from its front face and communicating with the coin chutes 2. The housing '3 is attached ,to the box 1 in any preferredmanner such as by rivets6. z a

To converta coin collector of this type into a slug or token collector, I place aguide 7 over the front face of the housing 3.. As will be seen in Figure 5 this guide contains pockets-8 which open into the top edge of theguide and areadapted to register with the coin receiving openings 5' in the collector., The outside configuration, of ,the guide '7 conforms with the shape of thehousing 3. The guide may conveniently be a diecasting com- @1130 posed of an'aluminum. alloy or other suitablezdie casting'material; The guide is preferably ,considerably thicker than theslugs whichare to be i used in the'device- 1 I place aslo-tted plate 9 across the top surfaces 1 95 ;of the housing 3 and guide 7. This plate, shown in detail ingFigure 6, is preferably, composed'of steel; which may be hardened,:and contains aplurality of slots 10,, one for each of the openings '5 in the :coin .box. Ear-like projections .11 .extend 1'30 with the slots 10 in the plate 9.

into the slots 10 to adapt the slot for the reception of a grooved disc of particular dimension, and at the same time to prevent the insertion of discs or coins which are not grooved properly to register with these projections 11. Grooved discs of this kind are well known in the art, being disclosed in the Patent 1,115,661 issued to Henry Goetz, November 3, 1914. The ends of the plate 9 are tapered at 12 to more closely register the same with the outside surfaces of the coin housing.

Over the housing, guide, and plate, I place a cap 15 which is preferably a single piece metallic cap shaped to accurately fit thereover. The cap may be composed of brass plated to give it a neat appearance. The top surface of this cap'is provided with a plurality of slots 16 spacedto register The lower edge of the housing 15 fits down accurately upon the 'fiange-like portion of the housing 3, inside of the rivets 6 by which coin box.

Coin housings of the type shown are provided with circular openings 17 extending from the bottom portion of the coin receiving pockets 5 out through the back sideof the housing; I makeuse of these openings to secure the cap 15 to the housing by ears 18 which are forced out of the'back the housing is attached to the wall of the cap into the openings 17. The free ends of the ears -18 engage the periphery of these openings to securely lock the capirr place upon 'the housing. Locking the cap in place will lock the guide '7 and guard plate 9 upon' the housing through the engagement of the Walls of the cap with these members. 1

' The front face of the cap 15 is perforated with circular openings 19 which coincide with the coin receiving opening 5 in the housing 3, but are of smaller diameter so that coins or tokens will not pass therethrough into the coin'chutes. Frequently the back wall of the coin housing contains numbers indicating the coin that the particular opening is adapted to receive, and these numbers are visible through the perforations 19 in the cap. The front face of the cap preferably contains suitable directions stamped therein in the manner shown in Figure 1.

In the operation of the device a slug of the proper type is inserted in the slot 16 in the cap and turned therein until the grooves contained in it'register with the projections 11, at which time the slug is free to pass through the slot into the pocket 8 in the guide 7. In Figure 2 I have illustrated the manner of registering the slug with these projections. Ordinarily a slug dropped into the pockets 8, of its own accord will move through the opening 5 into the coin chute 2; however, if it becomes stuck it can be easily pushed into the coin chute byinserting a finger through the opening 19 in the cap. Once in registration with the coin chute 2 the token drops into the mechanism contained in box 1 without further control.

As shown in Figures 2 and 6 the guard plate -9 is provided with three slots all of which are guarded by projections 11.- This embodiment is shownby way of example only. Frequently in telephone sub-stations it is desirable to have the slot indicated by the figure 5 in Figure 1 guarded pany for each token in the coin box. To mini- 7 'mize such losses it is desirable to frequently change the code of the slugs used in a particular pay station, so that only the slugs sold over the counter will operate the device. This arrangement has been found to be effective. To this end a pluralityof different plates 9 may be provided for insertion in the attachment of my invention. In Figure 7 I have shown a plate 9' containing a rectangular slot 10' in which the projections 21 extending into the slot 10' are arranged differently from the projections 11 shown in the plate 9 in Figure 6. A slug 22 having corresponding grooves is shown in the slotlO'.

In order to insert the plate 9- in the attachment device, cats 18 are bent back out of engagement with the openings 17 by a blunt tool projected through openings 19 in thecap'15.

Since the cap is preferably made of a relatively soft material such as brass, the ears may be. bent a number of times without breaking. 'With the cap thus loosened, it may be removed and. the plate 9 is thus made accessible. The new plate 9 is inserted and the cap replaced and locked by reinsertion of ears 18 in the openings 17.

v The attachment device of my invention closely registers with the coin chute housing-and therefore must'be designed to fitthe same. The specific details of construction herein described are shown by way of example only and it is within the teachings of my invention'to vary these details, thereby to adapt the device to other specific coin chute housings. a

I What is claimed is:

its

1. In combination, a perforated coin receiving housing of the type into which coinsfare inserted flat and moved into'engagement with coin chutes leading out of the housing, and attachment means for arranging the housing to receive grooved slugs moved edgewise through slotsin the top of the attachment, said means being secured to the housing solely by a removable enclosing casing having ears registered with existing openings in said housing. 1 l

2. In combination, a perforated coin receiving housing of the type into which coins are inserted flat 'andmoved into engagement with coin chutes leading out of the housing, and attachment means for arranging the housing to receive grooved slugs moved edgewise through slots in the top of the attachment, said means being encased in a metallic cap held upon the housing by ears projected into existing openings inthe housing.

3. In combination, a perforated coin receiving,

housing of the type into which coins are inserted flat and moved into engagement with coin chutes leading I out of the housing, and attachment means for arranging the housing to receive .grooved slugs moved edgewise through slots in the top of the attachment, said means including a hardened metallic plate containing slots guardover said housing, guide,

slots guarded to receive only a different kind of slugs.

4. In combination, a housing having a plurality of depressions in the front face thereof for the reception of slugs, a guide fitted over the front face of said housing and having pockets opening from the top thereof and registering with said depressions, a plate resting on the top edges of said housing and guide and containing guarded slots registering with said pockets, a cap fitted and plate, and means on said cap engaging said housing for holding said assembly together.

5; In combination, a housing having a plurality of depressions in the front face thereof for the reception of slugs, a guide fitted over the front face of said housing and having pockets opening from the top thereof and registering with said,

depressions, a plate resting on the top edges of said housing and guide and containing slots guarded to pass a definitely formed slug but no other slug, a cap fitted over said housing, guide and plate and containing slots through which slugs may be passed to said plate and circular openings through which slugs may be digitally passed from said pockets into said depressions, and ears turned out of said cap into engagement with said housing for holding said assembly together.

6. The combination with a perforated coin housing of the type having circular coin receiving 7 pockets recessed into the front face thereof and communicating with chutes leading into the mechanism upon which the housing is mounted, of a plate resting on the top of said housing and overhanging the front face thereof and containing guarded slots disposed in the overhanging portion of the same, a cap fitted over said housing and plate, ears turned out of the cap into the perforations in the housing to hold the cap'and plate thereon, and means in the cap-for guiding slugs dropped through'said guarded slots through said pockets into said chutes.

7. The combination with a perforated coin housing of the type having circular coin receiving pockets recessed into the front face thereof and communicating with chutes leading into the mechanism upon which the housing is mounted, of an attachment for converting the coin receiving housing into a slug receiving housing into which grooved slugs areinserted through rectangular slots located in the top thereof, said attachment comprising, a hardened metal guard plate containing slots into which projections extend to guard the same againstpassing slugs not grooved to fit the particular plate, said plate being interchangeable with a plate of different code thereby to change the slugs that will operate the mechanism, and means for holding the plate on the housing including ears turned into the existing perforations in the. housing.

8. The combination with a perforated coin housing of the type having circular coin receiving pockets recessed into the front face thereof and communicating with chutes leading into the mechanism upon which the housing is mounted, of an attachment for converting the coin receiving housing into a slug receiving housing into which grooved slugs are inserted throughrectangular slots located in the top thereof, said attachment comprising, a hardened metal guard plate containing slots'into which projections extend to guard the same against passing slugs not grooved to fit the particular plate, said plate being interchangeable with a plate of different code thereby to change the slugs that will operate the mechanism, a cap fitted over said housing and plate, said cap containing small circular perforations which are disposed concentrically of said pockets, and containing slots registered with said guarded slots, and ears turned out of said cap into existing perforations in said housing to fasten the attachment thereon.

9. As an article of manufacture, an attachment for converting the coin receiving means of a vending machine into a grooved slug receiving means comprising, a guide plate laid alongside the coin receiving means and having pockets opening from the top surface thereof, a guard plate laid over the top surfaces of the receiving means and guide plate and containing guarded slots which register with said pockets, a cap formed to fit over the coin receiving means and said plates and containing ears adapted to be bent into engagement with said coin receiving means to'lock the attachment assembly thereon.

10. As .an article of manufacture, an attachment for converting a coin controlled device having a coin receiving means into which coins are moved horizontally through circular openings in the front face thereof, into a slug controlled device into which slugs are moved edgewise through rectangular slots in the top face thereof comprising, a guide adapted to fit against the front face of the coin receiving means and containing pockets registering with said circular openings and opening into the top face of the guide, a hardened metallic plate resting upon the tops of said receiving means and guide and containing guarded slots registering with said pockets, metallic cap fitted over said receiving means, guide and plate and containing rectangular slots registering with the slots in said plate, and ears turned out of said cap into engagement with said receiving means to lock the attachment upon the device.

11. An attachment for converting a coinreceiving housing into a slug-receiving housing,

position upon said housing.

HARRY GOETZ. 

